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The Danube runs through the heart of Jewish Europe, and after fielding repeated requests from passengers, Ama Waterways has introduced Jewish themed cruises on the river. Stops include the medieval synagogue that was excavated in Regensburg in the 1990s, the Tree of Life in Budapest, and tours through former and current Jewish neighbourhoods in Vienna and Prague. One table in the dining room is also set aside for Shabbat on Fridays on these cruises. Sailings for 2012 are already sold out, with berths now on sale for June 27, July 11, Aug. 6 and Oct. 28, 2013.

FBI warns of WiFi hackers

The FBI offered an official warning this week to people who use hotel WiFi signals, They say hackers have been putting out pop-up ads that ask users to update popular software packages, surreptitiously collecting information from users who hit the OK button. The Bureau suggests only updating software directly from vendors’ sites. For further protection, connecting to the wired, Ethernet connection most hotels still have can also be a good idea.

Dell and WestJet offer laptops

While the Calgary-based airline is working on what it hopes will be the next generation of in-flight entertainment, they’ve signed on with Dell to offer passengers flying between Pearson and Calgary flight-sized laptops loaded with 30 hours of entertainment to use during the flight. From now until June, passengers can pick up the laptop, batteries charged to last four hours or so, along with a pair of Sennheiser headphones, from the Terminal 3 departure gates B40 and B41.

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Goa is just too much fun

That what an advisory board called the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council has told the Goa state government, suggesting the marketing emphasis on fun, beaches and entertainment is obscuring some of the old Portuguese colony’s more lasting virtues and attractions. “Goa is not only the land of sun and sand,” says the draft report, according to the Indo-Asian News Service, “but a state having rich yet diverse mosaic of culture blended with religious and communal harmony.” The council, made up of scientists, economists and bureaucrats, fear the popular region is getting too touristy too quickly.

Chihuly work gets permanent home

On Monday, the old Fun Fair that had been at the base of the Space Needle ever since the 1962 Expo for which it was built was officially replaced with Chihuly Garden and Glass, the first permanent retrospective of glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, who was born in nearby Tacoma. The 1.5-acre garden and museum includes hundreds of pieces of the art, which is designed by Chihuly and blown by members of his studio. Garden and Glass, which costs $19 admission, is also home to the new Collections Café, a small, casually upscale restaurant that houses portions of the artist’s odd collections of things like accordions, shaving brushes and bottle openers.

And furthermore…

Cathay Pacific was in town last week to launch its new seat designs, notably their economy seats, which offer enough room to open a laptop on your seat tray… Sheraton Centre in Montreal has just finished a multi-year, $40-million renovation of all its rooms… Ethiopian Airways is launching Canadian routes, including twice a week between Addis Ababa and Toronto, beginning on July 17.

App of the Week: Urbantag (free; iOS)

This is a new social network for travellers that lets you create and rifle through maps and pictures of favourite spots in favourite cities around the world. It’s meant to be a one-stop for all your friends’ recommendations for places to go when you go traveling. If you log on through Facebook or Foursquare, you can check out any of your contacts who’s also on Urbantag; if not, you can invite your more enthusiastic travel friends. You can follow strangers, too, a little like Pinterest. An Android version is on its way.

Bert Archer writes weekly about travel news to use and amuse. You can reach him with tips, complaints and questions at bertstravel@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter @BertArcher.

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